Entrepreneur to speak at MSSU’s Honors Program Lecture Series

Sep 21, 2018

The Honors Program Lecture Series at Missouri Southern will continue with a presentation by entrepreneur David Moritz, who will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in Plaster Hall’s Cornell Auditorium.

The founder and CEO of Society Awards – the premiere company for high-end award design and creation – Moritz earned his bachelor’s degree from NYU and a Juris doctor from Cardozo School of Law.

He will discuss his successes as an entrepreneur after growing up in a small town, as well as the importance of his education as he created his businesses.

Following the 2007 launch of Society Awards, the company made a name for itself by designing some of the entertainment industry’s top awards. Clients have included MTV, the Golden Globes, the CMAs and “The Voice.”

Moritz soon launched a sister company, Viceroy Creative. With clients such as Pepsi, Lipton, Playboy, Skyy and Colgate, Viceroy has become a full-service design firm specializing in brand strategy.

He followed that with Ambition Beverages, creating his own line of luxury products that includes vodka, sparkling wine and champagne.

Rachel Stanley, assistant director of the Honors Program, says Moritz’s story is one of “creativity, risk-taking and vision.”

“When we think of awards season, we don’t typically think about the actual award – the hardware – until it’s held against the glittery backdrop of a movie star’s gown or raised above an actor’s head with bravado,” she said. “David thought about the awards and he knew he could do it better.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have him at Missouri Southern speaking to our students and the community.”